NEWS: Roar @ Empty Shop

Japanese rock duo Roar head to Durham

By Mark Corcoran-Lettice
on Thursday, May 18th, 2017

Empty Shop have become the beating heartbeat of all that is creative and independent amidst the curious institutional city-state that is Durham, hosting a plethora of diverse and exciting events to give the city some vibrancy back.

Needless to say, they play host to another fantastic bill on Monday 22nd May, headed up by Japanese rock duo Roar. Describing a band as ‘Royal Blood, but actually good instead of entirely objectionable’ might seem like faint praise, but it’s not inaccurate: this two piece deal in low-down and dirty classic rock grooves, but rather crucially they also boast an imagination and a deftness that leads to their music sounding fresh and inviting rather than leaden and blokeish. Needless to say, Road aren’t frequent visitors to this region, so Empty Shop have pulled off something rather special in securing this one.

Supporting them on the night are Bristol’s Steve Strong, who conjures up an impressive and immersive blend of trip-hop, post-rock and IDM through a bespoke solo set-up of guitar, drums and electronics, and Ten Sticks, whose beautiful, haunting compositions weave together threads from shoegaze, modern composition and ambient techno to conjure up a highly distinct sound. Put together, it’s an imaginative and bold bill that you’re highly unlikely to ever see again.